Rotary pipe tongs



Dec; 25', 1928.

Y Am ww AT mm on Y .R Hm .0 HR

Filed April 7; 1926 Patented Dec. 25, 1928.

r OFFlCE.

HALL H. noLnAwAY, or LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA.

ROTARY PIPE Tones Application filed April 7, 192$. -Seria1 No. 100,238.

My invention relates to pipe tongs such as are used on oil well casing and such asaro suspended in the derrick and are swung into "engagement with a casing which is to be turned and which must be adjusted to and locked in order to turn said casing.

Among the salient objects of my invention are: to provide a device of the character referred to which can be moved into engagement with a well casing and in which the jaws thereof are automatically closed around the casing and locked for operation without the necessity of the operator going over to the casing or in any other manner manipulating the head of the wrench: or tongs; to provide such a device constructed and arranged to be moved longitudinally or in an endwise manner into engagement with the well casing,the grippingjaws thereof opening outwardly so that as the device is thus moved endwise' against the casing,said jaws close around'the casing. and lock for operating; to provide in such a device means extended back along the handle for releasing the jaws for removing said tongs from the casing, thus making it unnecessary for the operator to go to the casing in order to apply or release the tongs; and, in general, to provide a simple, practical and eflicient, device of the character rer'erred to. I 1

In order to fully eXpl-ain'my invention, 1 have illustrated the same on the accompanying sheet of drawings, which I will now describe.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of tongs embodying my invention, with the top plate re moved to show the interior arrangement thereof;

Figure 2 1s a similar view of the device as applied to a piece of well casing;

FigureS is a view of the top plate removed from the devices as shown in Figs. 1 and 2;

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the body or head of the device; and

Figure 5 is a detail view showing a slightly lllOdl'llGd handle and jaw connection.

Referring now in detail to the drawings,

my invention as here embodied, comprises a body having a somewhat crescent form with the fixed plate, 6, the integrally-formed edge member, 7, of irregular form, substantially as illustrated, the handle, 8, the removable top plate, 9, the two pivoted jaws, 10 and 11, a pivoted connecting link, 12, pivoted on the bolt, 13, and at one end pivotally connected to the inner end of the handle, 8, as at 14, and

at its other piv otally connected tothejaw, 19, and the fixed jaw member, 15, provided with gripping teeth, 16, as is also pivoted jaw,

11, which teeth'are shown to be removable from the i' aces of the members 15 and 11.

Pivotally mounted a between the top and bottom plates, 6 and 9, between the fixed aw member, 15, and the integral edge portion, 7, is a pivoted dog or-pawl, 1 7, on the bolt, 18, with its 'free end adapted to engage in a. notch orrecess,a19, in the pivoted jaw, 11,as is clear fromFigs, l and 2. Anoperating rod, 20, is

connected with said dog, 1?, and extended along the handle, 8, for convenient ope ation to remove the dog, 17, from said notch on recess,19, to release said pivoted jaw, 11. A

spring, 21, setin the'inner face of the integral member, 7, normally moves said dog or pawl, 17,'inwardly into engagement with said pivoted jaw, 11, as is clearly illustrated. The pivoted jawsylO'and 11, are each provided with slots, as 10, and 11, within which are placed springs, .as 22,"to normally move said jaws to the open positions, represented in Fig.1; This is a simple arrangement and need notbe further illustrated or described.

InFigs. 1 and 2, the handle, 8, is shown 1 pivotally mounted on a bolt, 23, through the body of the device, and pivotally connected with the link, 12, as at let, so that movement of said handle to the right,.operates to move said link, 12, on its pivot, 13, and to move the jaw, 10, inwardly, or outwardly, depending on the movement of said handle to the right,-

or to the left, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and as will be understood'trom the showin In Fig. .5, I have shown slightly modified handle, 8, with the link eliminated, said handle havingtheintegral portion, 12 pivotally connected at its end withthe pivoted. jaw, 10 corresponding with thejaw, 10.: In this arrangement the pivot bolt, 23, can be omitted, and the pivotal connection or mo an tinn" ot said' handle 8 made-on thebolt 13 for D. a 7 7 the'nioven'ient of the aw 10, to and iron: the casing, designated, C,'Fig. 2.

These tongs are heavy and are usually suspended, in the derrick, and to thls end they are provided with the eyes, as 23, on the handle, and 2%, 24, on the opposite edges of v the plate, 9, as illustrated, Of course any suitable meanscan be provided forsuspend ing the tool ina swingingcondition' for use.

The use-and operation of the invention may be briefly described as follows:

Assuming that it is suspended in a derrick with its jaws, and 11., open, as illustrated in Fig. 1, it is only necessary for the opera tor to swing it endwise to and into engage ment with the well casing to beturned. As the tool. and its jaws, 10 and 11, in particular, engage the casing, C, said jaws will be forced to close around the casing, Q, in the manner illustrated inFig'. 2. .his is accomplished by simply thrusting the tongs onto the easing. The dog, or pawl, 17, engages in the recess, 19, and the jaw. ll, is held locked against the-casing, which also locks the aw, 10, for it cannot be opened without releasing the jaw, 11, by pulling on the rod, 20, to remove the pawl or dog, 17. It is not necessary for the operator to leave the end of the handle to adjust the tool onthecasing, or to fasten the jaws, forthey automatically lock thereupon. V

As said handle is operated now, say to the right, as shown in Figs. 1. and 2, it operates through the link, 12, to force the jaw, 10, more tightly against the casing, which forces the casing more tightly against the jaw, 11, and the continued movement of the handle to the right, turns said casing. l fhen it is desired to release the tool from the casing,

it is only necessary to pull the rod, 20, which releases the dog, 17, and then pull the tool lengthwise from the casing. The whole operation of applying, using and removing the tool can be accomplished from the handle end thereof and without going to the sing at all. If the handle,v as arranged in 5, is used, it is moved in the opposite direction to tighten or loosen the jaw, 10, will be understood, and the releasing rod, 20, is operated in the same manner as is the rod, 20, to release the dog.

I am aware that changes in the details of construction and arrangement can be made without departing from the spirit oi": my invention, and I do not, therefore, limit the invention to the showing made, except as I may be limited by the hereto appended claims.

I claim:

1. Pipe tongs including in combination, a

handle, side plates of substantially crescent iorm attached to said handle with their openings in vertical register when said tones are used on vertical pipe. said openings being at tho out-ern'iost end oi said handle, whereby when said handle is moved longitudinally to r a pipe said openings pass over said pipe, p1v-.

oted jaw members in the opposite sides or said openings with seinicircular gripping faces opposite each other and o, eninp; outwardly and adapted to first engage pipe as said tongs are moved endwise. agai, st a pipe, said pivoted aws being adapted to move simultaneously together into said crescent shapedside plates and around opposite sides of area said jaws for holding them closed as they are moved back into said crescent shaped side plates, and operating connections from said handle with one oi said jaws to press the same nst said pipe as said handle is moved in ally in one direction.

2. Pipe tongs including in combination, a handle, opposed side {l es at the outer end of said handle, said ado plates having U- shaped openings intheir outer ends in aline- "d pipe as said tongs-are thrust endwise ment with said handle and opening outward side plates for moving said jaw against said pipe when said handle is moved laterally in one direction, whereby said tongs can be moved endwise against a pipe and moved laterally to automatically grip said pipe for turning the same.

3. In pipe tongs, in combination a body having a U-shaped opening therein to receive a pipe therein, a handle pivotally connected thereto at the bottom of said U-shaped openand extending longitudinally thereof in Y-form, two pivoted pipe engaging jawsfin the mouth of said U-shaped opening andswinging outwardly away from each other to open and form the outermost mouth. por tions of said tongs and swlnging inwardly toward each other into said U-shaped open- I ing as said tongs are moved longitudinally of said handle and endwise against a pipe,

said aws closing sn'nultaneously aboutthe' opposite sides of said pipe by said endwise thrust against the same, latch means rearwardly of said pipe in said body tor holding said jaws inwardly, and operating: connections from said handle, within said body, with. one of said jaws and adapted to move it against said pipe in biting, cup" goinent therewith as said handle is inoverllaterally in one direction, whereby said tongs can be moved lengthwise in an endwise thrust agra ist a pipe to attach it and moved laterally in one direction toautomatically grip said pipe in operating engagement.

Signed, at Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California, this 31st day of March, 1926.

' HALL H. I-lOLDAlVAY.

said pipe, latch means reaiwvardly of 

